I smell peppermint around my kitchen today!  One of my warm memories as a kid involved those pink peppermint candies.  My  grandpa used to sneak me a few of the pink discs when I would visit him with my Mom.  Grandpa created a feeling of being his special grand daughter as he winked my way and whispered, "Here's a treat for you, today!" 

So here I am standing in my kitchen reminiscing that cozy emotion as I push the clean button of my dishwasher.  Why would I be sniffing the peppermint aroma? you may wonder.  Well, my youngest sis researched making her own laundry and dishwasher soap...and invited me to concoct the recipes with her.  We had a blast looking for the ingredients.  In the past, I frequently commented about becoming like my mother.  But this experience made me realize I was becoming more like my grandmother.  ha!  We wandered through the local grocery store to purchase liquid castile soap, Fels Naptha soap, washing soda, and Borax.  My sister brought two white 5-gallon buckets to stir up and store the mixture.  We were ready to begin the procedure. 

Surprisingly, the actual mixing of ingredients did not take that long.  As we measured the ingredients and dissolved the shredded Fels Naptha soap, I kept thinking there has to be more to this.  It's so simple.  But after making a double batch (which filled the 5-gallon bucket), I was amazed at the simple recipe and short amount of time it took us.  The final product resembled a gel-like  noodle soup and the cost was a mere penny a load.  How could I resist this savings? 

Then my sister and I got creative.  We had browsed the many scents available in the castile soap and had chosen the peppermint one.  And Voila!  We have a peppermint aroma floating through the air every time we use the dishwasher.  Who would've guessed that I would be able to mix up a batch of dishwasher soap and add the fragrance (essential oil) of my choice?  Ahhhh, there's peppermint in the air!  Thanks, Little Sis! ☺

Want to try these recipes?  For the laundry soap, go to:  http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

For the dishwasher soap, try: http://www.ehow.com/PrintArticle.html?id=4591491